Posted on Friday, 20th March 2009 by Bruce
I’ll make this quick. I’m not going to belabor the point. You’ve heard the comment.
I know the guy’s under a lot of pressure, and is trying to carve his path, in the early days of his administration… it’s the hardest job in the free world, after all. The spinmeisters can wave their magic wands, and they already have; the fact remains that a person can’t make fun of the Special Olympics without indirectly, perhaps unintentionally, making fun of Special Olympians.
I have friends, this blog has friends - quite a few of them - with special-needs children. I can only imagine the shock of having their president, on camera, compare what he believes to be his failings with a program known for bringing out the best in people. I am troubled that he’d think it’s normal to use that reference in casual conversation with someone whom he barely knows, with a studio audience - and the world - watching.
Anyone who gets routinely quoted - and I’m not even going to begin to think I’m on par with most - but anyone who writes or talks, with others noticing, knows that we have to choose every word we type or speak very tactfully, so as not to give our critics fuel for their fires.
That this is a phrase that he thought was perfectly normal to use in public is the most troubling part to me. If this is what he’s willing to vocalize, it leaves me wondering what’s going on in his mind.
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39 Responses to “On Obama’s rather odd comment to Jay Leno”
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March 20th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Interesting that this should come up now, as I know that one of BB’s “friends” (not the word that I would use to describe him) made a request for consideration to discontinue the use of the word “libtard” for this very reason - so as not to be offensive to the children who may have special needs. That consideration was granted without question, and to my knowledge we haven’t seen the word since. Not a word of thanks from this guy either. I wonder if this local lefty “friend” will be sending an e-mail to Obama bin Biden registering his indignation at Obama’s flippant remarks and asking for similar consideration or if it’s only “offensive” when a conservative does it. I’m pretty sure I already know the answer to that question. I guess only conservatives can be hypocrites just as only whites can be racist.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:44 am
As a person who works with the severely disabled and a former Special Olympics coach, I think I can truthfully and honestly say, that Special Olympians and the students I work with have more class in their right pinkie than Obama will ever have in his life time..
Obama may have some book smarts, but he is a classless human being who has no clue about the real world and the people who live in it.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Well, that was a truly dumb remark- the fact is, the special athletes who compete in Special Olympics take the competition very seriously indeed. And the volunteers who run the games also do their best to keep the competitions honest- no one gets points (let alone wins) merely for trying; the competition is for real.
I don’t think anyone should worry too much about words like “retarded,” or its cognates- mental retardation is a reality, and calling it by other, more politically-correct names does not change that.
But, if people start to make too much fun of Special Olympics it may make it impossible for the special athletes to take them seriously- and that would be a very real loss.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:27 am
My kid brother is a Special Olympian, and has been for many, many years.
Not only is Obama’s remark offensive, it reinforces my belief that liberals are the most insensitive, crass, disingenuous, and hateful people in America. But as they sip their white wine and digest their room-temperature cheese, they would always have you believe the opposite to be true.
So thank you Mr. President; you have once again solidified my argument and exposed you and those like you for the hypocrites you truly are.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:37 am
It does a great disservice to associate the teleprompter-challenged with the Special Olympians; a disservice to the Olympians!
See what happens when a sock-puppet speaks without his teleprompter?
March 20th, 2009 at 9:49 am
If seems liberals are silent on this one.
Every day that passes people who frequent this blog become more and more aware of how vile liberals are. Phonies and hypocrites. Liberals have no moral code.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:54 am
The Teleprompter kid has foot in mouth disease.
He’s incompetent. During the election as many Americans were slobbering over this big eared dimwit, I kept asking what his skill set was.
I would ask what he had ever accomplished.
Obama is the bumbling idiot behind the screen in the Wizard of Oz. He is a con man, nothing more.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:08 am
During the election it was obvious that Obama and his supporters prefer most Special Olympians never be born in the first place. I’m not surprised to learn he has no respect for disabled people who survived gestation. I won’t be surprised to learn most his supporters find nothing wrong with his remark.
choose every word we type or speak very tactfully
His TelePrompter assures us it was an ad lib.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Gus: During the election campaign I asked the messiah’s followers one question that has yet to be answered. I asked them, “Tell me ONE thing he’s ever done in elective office.”
In the final analysis Sen. Glenn Grothman is only 134 days short of the total elective governmental experience of Mr. Big-Eared Dimwit. And you know what - Glenn would know what to do to get America back on track again!
March 20th, 2009 at 10:33 am
As a special educator & an aunt of a child with autism this is truly upsetting to me. We work tirelessly at our school to stop students from using the phrase “that’s retarded.” Signs are posted everywhere to have students “choose another word.” I am sure that this made us take a few steps backward. The other fact that upsets me so much is the media’s reaction. It took 14 hours for the AP to get this on their wire, yet, someone spells potato wrong & it is everywhere.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:45 am
I’ve noticed that Glenn Grothman never votes “present”.
Duke, liberals don’t care about ability or character, they care about liberal ideology.
The end always justifies their means.
We have the double whammmy. A nephyte idiot as President and a man who is classless and crass.
I wonder if Chris Matthews still has that tingle thingy going up his leg?
March 20th, 2009 at 10:53 am
“I wonder if Chris Matthews still has that tingle thingy going up his leg?”
of course, true liberals don’t apologize unless they have been caught.
And who the hell chooses these spam words. First osama and now obama. WTF?????
March 20th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Actually I would be worried if I knew someone that participated in the Special Olympics. If Obama is against it, then I guess I would consider it canceled. For he hath spoken.
I would also be weary whether he considers giving them health-care anymore, for he has already reserved the right for the government to now choose who gets what and when.
I just can’t believe it when they stand up and clap for this, guy. His stimulus health-care is a death sentence for the elderly, black mail for the working class, and who knows what he has entailed for the rest?
March 20th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Last time I did anti-spam words, it was the last names of the entire MPS Board.
I think Patrick changed them recently.
My anti-spam word was just “spam.” Actually, this smells like Roland’s handiwork.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Sounds like foot-in-mouth-Bidenis rubbing off on Obama. Making fun of special Olympians…geez what next?
March 20th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Apparently, Obama bowls a 129. Well, there are many special Olympians that roll better than 129 without assistance. i’ve seen several 200+ scores rolled by Special Olympians and have heard of a 300 game. You think this Special olympian would be impressed by Obama?: http://www.soky.org/sportsprograms/statebowling.htm
March 20th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Apparently the head of the Special Olympics is okay with this. It’s a “teaching moment” for Obama. As if he didn’t know you don’t make remarks like this.
I will no longer donate to the Special Olympics since they wrote this incident off. Just shows how much they care about the actual Olympians. They would rather have Obama “look good” than stick up for a group of people that are made to be the butt of a joke by the *supposedly* most important person in the free world. (Getting less free by the minute.)
This would have been a perfect opportunity for groups representing special needs children to speak up about Obama’s approval of allowing them to be left in a closet to die after a botched abortion.
I heard a speech on Rush Limbaugh today given by Sarah Palin about the Special Olympics. This speech was given a couple of weeks ago, before Obama showed his true feelings about children with special needs. She actually cares about children with special needs, unlike Obama and his colleagues who only use them as a tool to get elected.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Here’s a link to the speech I wrote about in the above comment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izn63SHXPMw
March 20th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Actually, I gave up on Special Olympics awhile ago, when I saw that fund raising took presedence over the athletes. But thats for another day.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Those who fundraise often have nothing to do with the charity of 501c3 that they raise funds for.
It is true that this could be used as a teaching moment.
As in…”Look at the big eared buffoon make jokes about special needs children, Oh Dear, he’s the President of the United States, using children with disabilities for a cheap joke? How did we elect a scum bag like this” Teaching moment.
March 20th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
“You’re a piece of spam, Bruce…that’s what I think of you.” You can redeem yourself only if you can tell me which movie that quote comes from….
March 20th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Lieutenant Amos, is that you?
You think you are so hot ‘cuz you get in all the clubs, Roland.
March 20th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Roland, did you used to sing Bootie Time with The Disco Express?
March 20th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Bruce, I love that you have a picture of Herb Kohl as your “headshot”?
March 20th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
My spam word was just porkulus. Now that’s a good one!
March 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Chip…I could have been anything. I could have been a fisherman. Fishermen, they get up in the morning, they fish, they sell fish, they smell like fish. Reminds me of a girl I used to go with, Yvonne…
March 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
GOPgal:
I captured that picture of Senator Kohl last August at State Fair after he sold my daughter a very reasonably priced glass of strawberry milk. He was very gracious.
Not to boast, but the “porkulus” anti-spam is also my doing. I added it this afternoon, following commenter “Dan” critiquing our anti-spam words.
Perhaps I’ll make “GOPgal” an anti-spam word. That would bring this all full-circle, wouldn’t it?
B
March 20th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Ahhh yes I remember Yvonne Fischer, she was a real catch,
March 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Well, just another display of incompetence by the “Mouth of the South(Chicago)”. And it looks like he’ll get yet another pass by his adoring sheeple. Guess we’ll have to tag it and throw it on the pile.
March 21st, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I am not very disappointed in our fearless leader’s inappropriate gaff on the tonight show.
After all he is “Special”.
March 21st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Oh he is more than special. He is a affirmative action Ivy League grad.
Y’know something. Any Special Olympian who has won a race or game, has more LIFETIME ACCOMPLISHMENTS than Obama.
Obama has never won anything but a popularity contest. He is a loser. I defy any lib to tell me of Obama’s accomplishments.
I had an Special Olympian at my business today. He is 30, fit, and swims every day. He works 3 different jobs.
Obama has never earned a dime in his life. He has been handed too.
March 21st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Here is our problem America.
““He expressed his disappointment and he apologised in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population,†Mr Shriver told ABC’s Good Morning America.”
Obama is given the benefit of the doubt even after shi++ing on Shriver’s very cause.
Mind you this is the Kennedy/Sargent Shriver, Shriver family. You might remember Maria???
Liberals assume that they “care more” than others.
Puppycock, it’s mutual masturbation. Liberals do not care more than others, they posture and pose more than others. Obama has NEVER CARED for anyone other than himself. He has never given to charity, he had never been any kind of leader for any kind of cause other than that which would give him power or importance. So Tim Shriver gets that CHRIS MATTHEWS TINGLE up his leg when Barry O’Merican Idol calls to apologize for the gaffe du jour??? BFD. Obama suckers those who are willing to be suckered. It’s a liberal trait.
Libs pretend to care. They emote. They promise that they’ll give give give, then they do!! But they do by TAXING YOU.
“he apoligized in a way that was very moving” Tim Shriver said.
Spare me.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
To all the special olympians typing on this blog…seeing as most of these comments are colloquial and not to well thought out it solidifies my beliefs in the ignorance and subpar IQ of most conservatives…he made a mistake..so what? A verbal one at that..lets recap on the thousands of innocent lives… brothers, daughters, sons that will never have a chance to live their life out due to what? But i guess thats not too big of a deal right? I guess it is true…you cant fix stupid..which has a direct correlation with conservatism..o wait..do you even know what that is or why it was founded? Probably not….go back to your pointless lives
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Aww, look, another troll, ain’t he cute?
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Stupid is not being able to figure out what is supposed to be typed in the “website” box when submitting a comment.
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
..lets recap on the thousands of innocent lives… brothers, daughters, sons that will never have a chance to live their life out due to what?
This isn’t the right comment thread to start an abortion debate.
March 22nd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
What kind of intelligent liberal cannot speak a coherent sentence without a teleprompter?
Face it troll, if the teleprompter told Obama to piss his pants, he would, and you’d say he did it gracefully. We have a moron for a President and a Clown for a Vice President. I bet Thunder Thighs Rodham cries herself to sleep at night over what could have been.
You discussed intelligent liberals and i.q.’s.
Which liberals were you referring too? Pelosi?
Reid? Poop-to-power Moore? Dodd? Kennedy?
Liberals are dumber than ash trays. You included, chump.
March 22nd, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I just love the way that every Troll that has come here has to insult or question the intelligence of everyone here and rather than make a reasoned or thought out counterpoint, has to go back to something about President Bush did.
Well, “Dr.” how about deal with the issue at hand. It may not be a big deal to you, but I’m sure that if this was said by any Conservative that you disagree with, you’d be jumping up and down like a organ grinder’s monkey and expressing feigned “outrage”.
Face it, “Dr.” if People like you have a lock on anything, it’s the inability to use logic and reason over an emotional basis in forming a thought or argument.
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Martin, I find your comments “colloquial”.